The 52 Book Club: 2025 / 2026 Challenge discussion

33. An Abrupt Ending

Completing this prompt may require a little different technique than the others. After all, how can you tell if a book is going to have an abrupt ending unless you read it first? And that, to be honest, is all part of this challenge. Sometimes you’re able to plan books out in advance, and sometimes you’ll have to decide on a prompt after you finish reading the book.

Whether or not an ending feels “abrupt” is also going to vary from reader to reader. This will be a very subjective prompt, and again, that’s all part of the fun!

Tips for completing this prompt:
– Keep in mind that books are never locked into a specific prompt. (Unless you’ve made that a personal bonus challenge for the year.) For example, let’s say you’re planning on reading a specific book for prompt 32, but once you finish reading, you realize it has an abrupt ending. No problem, simply move it to this prompt instead! You’re welcome to shuffle books from prompt to prompt as often as you like.

– Check out reviews! Goodreads reviewers or reviews on bookseller sites will often note whether or not they thought a book ended too abruptly. (You may read the book and agree with them, or you may creatively interpret this prompt as a book someone else thought ended abruptly.)

– Books that are part of a series may end in a “cliffhanger” and can often make a specific book feel like it came to an abrupt ending. Again, this will vary from reader to reader, but is something to consider if you’re stuck on this prompt.


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I feel like I obsessively recommend this book, but only because it's so good! "Open Throat" by Henry Hoke would totally satisfy this prompt, & it's one of the best books I've ever read, to say nothing of being one of the best books published in 2023.

Ciara wrote: "I feel like I obsessively recommend this book, but only because it's so good! "Open Throat" by Henry Hoke would totally satisfy this prompt, & it's one of the best books I've ever read, to say noth..."

I just saw it in the Tournament of Books longlist. Thanks for mentioning it. This is a tough category to plan for.

I read it for the 2023 challenge but "All Good People Here" by Ashley Flowers (Crime Junkie host) has an ABRUPT ending. I-threw-the-book-abrupt ending.

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman

I'm going to read The Butcher and The Wren by Alaina Urquhart.

I had to totally rely on the listopia for this one. I plan to read In the Woods by Tana French.

I added it to the list, but Summer Crossing is a super abrupt ending because the manuscript is considered unfinished. Personally, I love the ending, but it is sudden!

I imagine I will fill this topic after finishing a book, or with the help of listopia, if I'm having trouble. To me, The Pull of the Stars would fit this prompt. But I just finished it...

So I will keep an eye out for books that will fulfill this prompt, but I thought I'd share.

NancyJ wrote: "Ciara wrote: "I feel like I obsessively recommend this book, but only because it's so good! "Open Throat" by Henry Hoke would totally satisfy this prompt, & it's one of the best books I've ever rea..."

Ciara wrote: "I feel like I obsessively recommend this book, but only because it's so good! "Open Throat" by Henry Hoke would totally satisfy this prompt, & it's one of the best books I've ever read, to say noth..."

Thank you for the suggestion, I love reading your excitement over it! :)

November 9 by Colleen Hoover.

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

I read The Lady, or the Tiger? years ago in high school. It's a short story (so a quick read) and I still remember the cliffhanger ending.

Red Queen

Just using the listopia, I have Life of Pi, Edgar Sawtelle, and Winter's Bone so maybe one of those

I just finished Normal People by Sally Rooney and the ending was annoyingly abrupt

EDIT: going with Life of Pi

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor.

I plan on reading City of bones by Cassandra Clare.

The Burning Girls

My book choice is The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

I feel like The Guest by Emma Cline had an abrupt ending, if that interests anyone

I will be reading The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Planning on: When You Are Mine

I saw Same Time Next Year on the list. It will crossover as my other book with a similar plot.

Finished the "twisted wedding" by BB Hamel. There was a lot of abrupt changes in the plot. the ending was surprisingly quicker and there was no transition into it. It filled the prompt but definitely don't recommend

I'm now reading West Jerusalem Noir and I think I will count it for this prompt. It's a collection of short stories and most of them have an abrupt ending. Thus, I was thinking that probably any collection of short stories could fit this prompt.

I think The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles has an abrupt ending. I was like, wait, whaaatt?

I selected The House by the Ocean by Ivory Fields for the prompt about the ocean. The book was more about the house, not the ocean, no it was more about a mother and daughter. I feel as if the story ended mid-sentence!

Tell No One

The Taste of Sugar by Marisel Vera - This was my second week read for the challenge and I feel fulfills the abrupt ending prompt.

The Sound of Rain by Gregg Olsen only resolves part of the plot but leaves the reader will so many questions. It is a thriller so many twists that you will not figure it out.

I think The Grapes of Wrath had an abrupt ending.

I read The Stardust Thief, which had an abrupt ending, mostly because it is part one of a trilogy.

I read This Time Its Real by Ann Liang. I don't think it was supposed to feel like an abrupt ending but it is how I felt while reading it.

Hades by Candice Fox didn't end with me yelling and throwing it across the room, but I did turn the page expecting more, so I'd say that was abrupt.

My choice: REBEL SKIES by Ann Sei Lin

I read The Foreign Exchange by Veronica G. Henry

The Lady, or the Tiger? finished 02/29

I've finished "Tonada de un Viejo Amor" (An Old Love's Tune) by Mónica Lavin. It is very short but hard to stomach. Incest stories are not my cup of tea. I was just happy it ended.

Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson. https://cdnbookworm.blogspot.com/2024...

I counted Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Edition, Vol. 13 by Hiromu Arakawa towards this prompt - it ends with a lot at stake, and I was really happy I had the next volume to jump to when I finished this one, haha.

I just finished Chain-Gang All Stars which was terrific and ends very abruptly.

I ended up changing my plan and read West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman.

For the Wolf by Hannah F. Whitten
4/5
This is the first book in a duology so I get to read the second one for the duology prompt!!!!!

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. 3.5 stars

I read The Magus by John Fowles. I really liked it until about the last quarter, and then I just fundamentally could not empathize with the decisions the main character was making and the awe and respect he was directing to another character who really just read as a pretentious d***. And the 'psych! what you thought was real was just another level of deception!' twists got a little repetitive after the second one.

I like her writing, and this was god, very atmospheric, but I did find it ended suddenly.

I just finished reading The Poppy War and I do think it had an abrupt ending, however I don't know if this is the prompt the book fits best. Let me know if you have any ideas on where else to put it!

I read Tempted from The House of Night Series by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

I read All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers.

I plan on read the third book in The Secret series; This Book is Not Good for You by Pseudonymous Bosch.